Node and method of controlling devices connected to node

ABSTRACT

Example embodiments relate to a node and a method of controlling devices connected to the node. In example embodiments the devices may be, but are not required to be, lights.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

Example embodiments relate to a node and a method of controlling devicesconnected to the node. In example embodiments the devices may be, butare not required to be, lights.

2. Description of the Related Art

Power over Ethernet (PoE) describes a system in which power and data areprovided to a device via Ethernet cabling. FIG. 1, for example,illustrates a system 90 utilizing PoE. In FIG. 1 the system 90 includesthree powered devices 50, 60, and 70 which may receive power and datafrom a switch 20. Typical examples of powered devices include IPcameras, IP telephones, wireless access points, switches, sensors, lightcontrollers, and/or lights. Though FIG. 1 shows only three powereddevices 50, 60, and 70, it is understood the system 90 is usable topower and control only a single device, two devices, or more than threedevices.

In the conventional art, the switch 20 may receive AC power and maydistribute the power to a plurality of ports 25 to power theaforementioned devices. In FIG. 1, the switch 20 is illustrated asincluding twelve ports 25 however it is understood that conventionalswitches 20 may include more than, or less than, twelve ports 25. Powerfrom the ports 25 is delivered to the powered devices 50, 60, and 70 viaconventional Ethernet cables 40.

In the conventional art, the switch 20 may include management softwareallowing the switch 20 to control how power is delivered to the powereddevices 50, 60, and 70. For example, switch 20 may be configured tocycle power to the powered devices 50, 60, and 70. For example, in theevent the devices 50, 60, and 70 are lights powered or controlled by theswitch 20, the switch 20 may be configured to turn off the lights, ordim them, at times when they are not normally in use. In thealternative, the switch 20 may include a management port allowing anoperator to configure the switch 20 or control the switch 20 to managedevices attached to the switch 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, theswitch 20 may include a port allowing a user 10 to connect thereto tocontrol the powered devices 50, 60, and 70 via the switch 20. In theconventional art, the switch 20 may alternatively be connected to anetwork which may be accessed by a user. In this latter embodiment, theuser may have access to the switch 20, and may control the switch 20 viasoftware that may run on the network or may run on a computer the useroperates.

SUMMARY

The inventor has noted that a drawback associated with conventional PoElighting systems is the potential for lights to either deactivate orsimply refuse to turn on in the event a controller, for example, aswitch, goes offline. This could present a serious safety issue foroccupants of a building who may require light to exit a building. Assuch, the inventor set out to design a new and nonobvious type of nodehaving an ability to control a device, for example, a light or an alarm,when a controller goes offline.

In accordance with example embodiments, a node may include amicroprocessor configured to control a powered device based on datareceived from a controller and, in the event data communication betweenthe controller and the microprocessor is interrupted or lost, controlthe powered device independent of the controller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example embodiments are described in detail below with reference to theattached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of a conventional system employing PoE;

FIG. 2 is a view of a node in accordance with example embodiments;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are views of connected nodes in accordance with exampleembodiments; and

FIG. 4 is a view of a method in accordance with example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are not intended to limitthe invention since the invention may be embodied in different forms.Rather, the example embodiments are provided so that this disclosurewill be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of theinvention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes ofcomponents may be exaggerated for clarity.

In this application, when an element is referred to as being “on,”“attached to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, theelement may be directly on, directly attached to, directly connected to,or directly coupled to the other element or may be on, attached to,connected to, or coupled to any intervening elements that may bepresent. However, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,”“directly attached to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupledto” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements present.In this application, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinationsof one or more of the associated listed items.

In this application, the terms first, second, etc. are used to describevarious elements and components. However, these terms are only used todistinguish one element and/or component from another element and/orcomponent. Thus, a first element or component, as discussed below, couldbe termed a second element or component.

In this application, terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper,” are used to spatially describe one element orfeature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated inthe figures. However, in this application, it is understood that thespatially relative terms are intended to encompass differentorientations of the structure. For example, if the structure in thefigures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” otherelements would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features.Thus, the term “below” is meant to encompass both an orientation ofabove and below. The structure may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptorsused herein interpreted accordingly.

Example Embodiments are illustrated by way of ideal schematic views.However, example embodiments are not intended to be limited by the idealschematic views since example embodiments may be modified in accordancewith manufacturing technologies and/or tolerances.

The subject matter of example embodiments, as disclosed herein, isdescribed with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, thedescription itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent.Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject mattermight also be embodied in other ways, to include different features orcombinations of features similar to the ones described in this document,in conjunction with other technologies. Generally, example embodimentsrelate to a node and a method of controlling devices connected to thenode. In example embodiments the devices may be, but are not required tobe, lights and/or alarms.

FIG. 2 is a view of a node 100 in accordance with example embodiments.As shown in FIG. 2, the node 100 may include an input port 110 and anoutput port 120. In example embodiments, each of the input port 110 andthe output port 120 may be configured to receive a conventional PoE cord40. Thus, the node 100 may be capable of receiving both data and powerover PoE. For example, in one nonlimiting example embodiment, the inputport 110 and the output port 120 may be, but is not required to be,configured as a RJ45 connector standardized as an 8P8C modularconnector.

In Example embodiments, the node 100 may include a microprocessor 130.The microprocessor 130 may be configured to receive data from the inputport 110, control a powered device 180 connected to the node 100,transmit data to the output port 120, receive data from the output port120, and transmit data to the input port 110. Thus, in exampleembodiments, data may flow in two directions through the node 100.

In FIG. 2, the node 100 may include a first power source 140 configuredto provide power to the microprocessor 130 and a second power source 150configured to provide power to the powered device 180. In exampleembodiments, the first and second power sources 140 and 150 may beconfigured to receive power via conductive lines 160, 162, and 165 whichmay receive power from the input port 110. For example, when an Ethernetcable 40 is inserted into the input port 110, power may flow to thefirst power source 140 via the conductive lines 160 and 162 and may alsoflow to the second power source 150 via conductive members 160 and 165.In example embodiments, the conductive member 160 may terminate at theoutput port 120. Thus, in example embodiments, power may also flow fromthe input port 110 to the output port 120 via the conductive member 160.

In FIG. 2, the microprocessor 130 may receive data from the input port110. For example, in example embodiments, the microprocessor 130 mayreceive data via a conductive member 170. In example embodiments, themicroprocessor 130 may use the data to control the powered device 160.In addition, or in the alternative, the microprocessor 130 may transferthe data to the output port 120 via another conductive member 172. Inexample embodiments, the microprocessor 130 may also be configured toreceive data from the output port 120 and transfer this data to theinput port 110. Thus, in example embodiments, data may flow two waysacross the node 100.

FIG. 3A illustrates two nodes 100 and 200 connected to one another.Because node 200 may be substantially identical to node 100, a detaileddescription thereof is omitted for the sake of brevity. In exampleembodiments, power and data may be provided to the input port 110 ofnode 100. For example, the input port 110 of node 100 may be connectedto a conventional switch 20 via a PoE cable 40′. In example embodiments,the power from the switch 20 may flow along the conductive member 160 tothe output port 120 and through the PoE cable 40 to the input port 210of the second node 200. Thus, in example embodiments, power provided tothe input port 110 may be used to power each of the first and secondnodes 100 and 200. Similarly, data provided to the first port 110 may beprovided to the processor 130 of the first node 100 and to the processor230 of the second node 200. This data may allow the first node 100 tocontrol the first powered device 180 and/or allow the second node 200 tocontrol a second powered device 280. Also, in example embodiments, datamay flow from the second node 200 to the first node 100 via the PoEcable 40 and from the first node 100 to the switch 20 via the PoE cable40′.

FIG. 3B illustrates three nodes 100, 200, and 300 connected to oneanother. In example embodiments the second and third nodes 200 and 300may be substantially identical to the first node 100 and the principlesassociated with FIG. 3A apply to FIG. 3B. In other words, power and datafrom a switch 20 may flow to the input port 110 of the first node andthe power and data may be provided to the second and third nodes 200 and300 via PoE cables 40. Also, data may flow from the first node 100 tothe second node 200 and then the third node 300 and may also flow fromthe third node 300 to the second node 200, from the second node 200 tothe first node 100, and from the first node 100 to the switch 20.

In example embodiments the microprocessors 130, 230, and 330 may controlthe powered devices 180, 280, and 380 based on data received from theswitch 20, however, it is conceivable that the switch 20, or any otherdevice which is configured to control any one of, or all of, the nodes100, 200, and 300 may go offline thus interrupting data communicationbetween the nodes and the switch 20. This could potentially cause asafety concern where the powered devices 180, 280, and 380 are lights.As such, the microprocessors 130, 230, and 330 may be configured so thatif communication between the controller (for example, switch 20) and anyone of, or all of, the nodes 100, 200, and 300 is interrupted, themicroprocessors 130, 230, and 330 will automatically control theirrespective powered devices 180, 280, and 380. For example, in the eventthe powered devices 180, 280, and 380 are lights, the lights may becontrolled to a certain dim level by their respective microprocessors.This would assure that persons in a room requiring light which isnormally controlled by a switch 20 receive light in the event the switch20 goes off line.

FIG. 4 is a view of a flowchart illustrating an example of the abovementioned method. For example, in FIG. 4 a predetermined time limit(PTL) and a predetermined dim level (PDL) may be set by a user andstored in some form of electronic memory, for example, an electronicdatabase which is accessible by the microprocessor. The electronicdatabase, for example, may be, but is not required to be, and electronicstorage medium such as ROM, PROM, EPROM, or an EEPROM.

In this application PTL and PDS are examples of control parameters anode may use to control a powered device. The PTL and PDL may be set (orstored), for example, when a node is initially fabricated. In thealternative, the PTL and PDL may be set by a user. The PTL, for example,may be any time limit desired by a user. For example, in one embodimentthe PTL may be one minute, in another embodiment it may be two minutes.Similarly, the PDL may also be any level desired by a user. For example,in one embodiment, the PDL may be 100%, in another embodiment, the PDLmay be about 50%.

The method of FIG. 4 may, for example, be executed by the microprocessor130 of node 100, however, it could similarly be executed by themicroprocessors 230 and/or 330 of nodes 200 and 300. As shown in FIG. 4the microprocessor 130 may control light based on data from acontroller, for example, the switch 20. The microprocessor 130 may,thereafter, monitor whether or not the node 100 has communicated withthe controller within PTL. If not, the microprocessor 130 may controlthe powered device 180. For example, if the powered device 180 is alight, the light may be controlled by the microprocessor 130 to a dimlevel of PDL.

Example embodiments are not intended to be limited by the aforementionedexamples. For example, the electronic memory may store additionalcontrol parameters. For example, as alternative to storing a PDL theelectronic memory may store a script which may be executed in the eventthe PTL is exceeded. For example, the powered device 180 may be an LEDlight capable of producing any number of colors. In this embodiment themicroprocessor 130 may cause the LED light to emit a particular color orchange from one color to another color in the event the PTL is exceeded.As yet another example, rather than causing a light to change color itmight alternatively cause a light to blink. Of course, the node 100 maybe configured to execute other actions. For example, in anotherembodiment the powered device 180 may be an alarm and the node 100 maybe configured to send power to the alarm in the event the PTL isexceeded. The alarm, for example, may be an audio alarm and/or avibration device.

Example embodiments of the invention have been described in anillustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology thathas been used is intended to be in the nature of words of descriptionrather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of exampleembodiments are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore,within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may bepracticed otherwise than as specifically described.

What I claim is:
 1. A node comprising: an electronic memory configuredto store at least one of a dim value and a script; and a microprocessorconfigured to control a powered device based on data received from acontroller, wherein if the node does not receive a communication fromthe controller within a predetermined time limit, the microprocessorindependently controls the powered device by at least one of executingthe script and controlling the powered device to have a dim level basedon the dim value.
 2. The node of claim 1, wherein the node includes aport configured to interface with an Ethernet cable.
 3. The node ofclaim 1, wherein an electronic database stores a time value upon whichthe time limit is based.
 4. The node of claim 1, wherein the powereddevice is a light.
 5. The node of claim 4, wherein the microprocessor isconfigured to control the light independent of the controller after thedata communication between the controller and the microprocessor isinterrupted for more than the time value and control the light based onthe dim value.
 6. The node of claim 5 wherein the controller goingoffline is the event when data communication between the controller andthe microprocessor is interrupted.
 7. A system comprising: the node ofclaim 1; the controller; and the powered device.
 8. The system of claim7, wherein the node includes a port configured to interface with anEthernet cable.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the node includes anelectronic database for storing at least one control parameter.
 10. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein the at least one control parameter includes atime value.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the powered device is alight.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the microprocessor isconfigured to control the light independent of the controller after thedata communication between the controller and the microprocessor isinterrupted for more than the time value and control the light based onthe dim value.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller goingoffline is the event when data communication between the controller andthe microprocessor is interrupted.